Tom Harrell

[GA Russell]

I like what I've heard of Tom Harrell, particularly The Art of Rhythm and Sail Away.

I don't like his disc for the Joe Lovano Quartets at the Village Vanguard double CD. The songs are too free for me.

Do you have a favorite of his? I could be talked into picking up something soon.

[sal]

Try "Upswing" and "Labyrinth". Those are my two favorites.

"Live at the Village Vanguard" also kicks ass.

All three of these are pretty much "straight ahead".

Edited June 30, 2005 by sal

[Guy Berger]

  GA Russell said:

I like what I've heard of Tom Harrell, particularly The Art of Rhythm and Sail Away.

I don't like his disc for the Joe Lovano Quartets at the Village Vanguard double CD.  The songs are too free for me.

Do you have a favorite of his?  I could be talked into picking up something soon.

←

I don't have much by the guy, just Art of Rhythm and the VV Quartets album. Both are very nice. I'll plug AoR simply because I'm guessing that it's not as well known as the Lovano album and is worth hearing.

Guy

[Rosco]

I'll add a couple to that list:

Form (Contemporary/ OJC) from the year after 'Sail Away' again with Lovano plus Danilo Perez, Charlie Haden & Paul Motion

Passages (Chesky) from 1992 with Lovano, Perez & Motion again

And, if you have the earlier version of Sail Away without the bonus tracks, try hunting down 'Visions' (Contemporary, I believe OOP) a compilation of outtakes and live cuts that includes 'April Mist', a very attractive tune that ought to be a modern standard.

[Alon Marcus]

Harrell is one of my favorite modern artists in everything that's related to trumpet/flugelhorn playing and writing.

I like very much his big band project Time's Mirror and the intimacy of his collaboration with Jim Hall on These Rooms .

Also like one of his recent projects Wise Children and Live at the Village Vanguard

Edited July 1, 2005 by Alon Marcus

[Guy Berger]

Listened to Art of Rhythm again last night... a really, really nice CD. Harrell's arrangements are interesting with a lot of variety across the disc. My favorites are the first tune -- a beautiful but not cloying arrangement for clarinet, flugelhorn (sp?), acoustic guitar and strings ("Petals Danse") and the trilogy of tunes featuring Dewey Redman ("Oasis", "Caribe", "Doo Bop" -- he's the reason I picked up the disc). "Oasis" reminds me a lot of "Pharoah's Dance" -- that chugging, polyrhythmic stew and dissonant piano playing. Besides Dewey and Tom, other noteworthy performances are by Greg Tardy, Danilo Perez, and Romero Lubambo.

Guy

Edited July 1, 2005 by Guy Berger

[Jazzmoose]

Tom Harrell is my absolute favorite straight ahead trumpeter! I think my favorite is probably Upswing (Chesky), although I haven't heard a bad disc by him. Also have to give a second mention to the big band disc, Times Mirror.

I just picked up Sail Away in the J&R sale, so I still have fresh Harrell to try; gotta wait until the mood is right!

[GA Russell]

Thanks for your suggestions. I'm sort of thinking about Time's Mirror, or maybe Labyrinth.

I was unaware of the Chesky CDs. I'll have to give them some consideration.

[chris olivarez]

I like "Paradise".

[BFrank]

Time's Mirror

[marcello]

I've been listening to a old live tape I have of the

Sam Jones / Tom Harrell Big Band

From the Mid to late 70's after Harrell left Horace Silver.

Great arrangements by Harrell and others ( A smokin' Bolivia ) with Harold Vick and Bob Berg in the saxophone section.

I have some of his other recordings as a leader but am not too wild about them. I'm glad to see this thread and maybe pick up something I've been missing

[Peter Friedman]

No one has mentioned my favorite recording under Tom Harrell's name.

Tom Harrell Quintet - Moon Alley - Criss Cross 1018

with Kenny Garrett, Kenny Barron, Ray Drummond, Ralph Peterson

Recorded December 22, 1985

Peter Friedman

[Jazzmoose]

I agree Peter, that's a nice one!

[GA Russell]

Thanks again for your suggestions. I decided to go with Time's Mirror.

I'm listening to it now. I enjoy modern big band from time to time, and I'm glad I picked this up.

[Guest akanalog]

i hope i do not sound like a jerk-"sail away", the OJC, is composed of, besides ray drummond and john abercrombie, many musicians i have zero interest in or appreciation for-including lovano, liebman, james williams, nussbaum and basically anyone else on the disc including harrell himself. i also don't purchase jazz from the time period during which "sail away" was released (nothing after the 70s generally)

with all this said-"sail away" is one of the best more recent (for me) jazz albums i have heard. harrell is a great songwriter. most of these compositions stick in my head for days when i listen to them.

[Alon Marcus]

He is certainly a great songwriter. It's one thing that most of the jazz fans agree with. I also like his playing and arranging. In the last few days I was listening to his collaboration with Bobby Shew on the Album Playing with Fire. John Patitucci is also doing a very good job playing acoustic bass. I would like to know what people think about that album.

[DukeCity]

  Alon Marcus said:

He is certainly a great songwriter. It's one thing that most of the jazz fans agree with. I also like his playing and arranging. In the last few days I was listening to his collaboration with Bobby Shew on the Album Playing with Fire. John Patitucci is also doing a very good job playing acoustic bass. I would like to know what people think about that album.

I remember Bobby Shew playing some tape from that session for me quite a few years ago ('90 or '91?). Seems he put the session together and was very happy with it, and had a difficult time shopping it to labels. From my vague recollection sounded like some great playing. I'll have to track this one down!

Other Tom Harrell: I've always liked a Bob Berg album called New Birth from around 1978. Harrell just burns on the whole thing!

[Ken Dryden]

I have quite a few Tom Harrell CDs and LPs, love his work with Jim Hall, Art Farmer and especially Phil Woods. One thing I treasure is a broadcast from the old Four Queens Jazz Night From Las Vegas in the band he briefly co-led with Swiss alto saxophonist George Robert. Here's the information:

 

1. One For Thad (Robert)

2. It Always (Harrell)

3. Mr. Timing (Robert)...also introduced as Mr. Lucky Timing

4. unidentified title (Harrell)

5. I Love You (Porter)

 

 

Geroge Robert/alto sax

Tom Harrell/trumept/flugelhorn

Dado Moroni/piano

Reggie Johnson/bass

Bill Goodwin/drums

 

recorded Oct. 2, 1989

Edited August 23, 2016 by Ken Dryden
Fixed typo

[Alon Marcus]

Few more comments about his playing and compositions.

1. Moon Alley - The album contains one of his best compositions "Rapture". The improvisations are built on patterns derived from the original theme. The patterns serve as vamps for soloing. This is a fresh idea, avoiding standart chorus blowing and reminds somehow the development part of the classical sonata form.

It's also interesting to compare this version of "Rapture" with Garrett to a later one with Bob Berg.

2. Harrell's tunes are very singable. You can easily remember the melodies he writes. Some of his themes could serve as elevator music weren't they so good. Tunes like "I don't know" or the optimistic "April Mist" from his album "Visions".

3. Harrell's tunes and improvisations also remind me good short stories like those of Chekhov, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, O. Henry or Raymond Carver. Lester Young said once that you have to tell a story in your playing and that is correct. People look for the same pleasure in listening to music as in books, movies or just a friendly chat while having a cup of cofee. In that sense Tom Harrell is a good storyteller.

4. Harrell's smart writing brings out the best in players who work with him. The name of his sidemen is a long list of jazz celebreties including Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett, Bob Berg and Phil Woods.

5. He reminds Chet Baker in the way he tends to play behind the beat. But he follows the harmonic discoveries made by Woody Shaw and like Shaw uses pentatonic scales a lot and creatively.

[Alon Marcus]

Can someone add info about the time he was with Horace Silver?

[fasstrack]

  Ken Dryden said:

I have quite a few Tom Harrell CDs and LPs, love his work with Jim Hall, Art Farmer and especially Phil Woods. One thing I treasure is a broadcast from the old Four Queens Jazz Night From Las Vegas in the band he briefly co-led with Swiss alto saxophonist George Robert. Here's the information:

1. One For Thad (Robert)

2. It Always (Harrell)

3. Mr. Timing (Robert)...also introduced as Mr. Lucky Timing

4. unidentified title (Harrell)

5. I Love Yo (Porter)

Geroge Robert/alto sax

Tom Harrell/trumept/flugelhorn

Dado Moroni/piano

Reggie Johnson/bass

Bill Goodwin/drums

recorded Oct. 2, 1989

I heard that band live in some long-defunct club on Broadway around 74th street, the Upper West Side that very year. Everybody in that band was kicking ass and taking names. But Tom! Every head on the bandstand was turned to him during his solos. He was playing so much that that piano player Moroni had to fight back a laughing jag.

[fasstrack]

  Alon Marcus said:

Few more comments about his playing and compositions.

1. Moon Alley - The album contains one of his best compositions "Rapture". The improvisations are built on patterns derived from the original theme. The patterns serve as vamps for soloing. This is a fresh idea, avoiding standart chorus blowing and reminds somehow the development part of the classical sonata form.

It's also interesting to compare this version of "Rapture" with Garrett to a later one with Bob Berg.

2. Harrell's tunes are very singable. You can easily remember the melodies he writes. Some of his themes could serve as elevator music weren't they so good. Tunes like "I don't know" or the optimistic "April Mist" from his album "Visions".

3. Harrell's tunes and improvisations also remind me good short stories like those of Chekhov, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, O. Henry or Raymond Carver. Lester Young said once that you have to tell a story in your playing and that is correct. People look for the same pleasure in listening to music as in books, movies or just a friendly chat while having a cup of cofee. In that sense Tom Harrell is a good storyteller.

4. Harrell's smart writing brings out the best in players who work with him. The name of his sidemen is a long list of jazz celebreties including Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett, Bob Berg and Phil Woods.

5. He reminds Chet Baker in the way he tends to play behind the beat. But he follows the harmonic discoveries made by Woody Shaw and like Shaw uses pentatonic scales a lot and creatively.

Good observations. Tom experiments a lot in his writing, and, like all artists who take chances, with varying degrees of success. But he never strays from human emotion, which is why his work resonates with people where others with perhaps equal writing expertise don't. He has a real melodic gift in his playing and writing besides deep knowledge, and of every kind of music, that came from a lot of work.

I used to hear him in the late 70s when people were just becoming aware of him in NY. He was playing in all kinds of situations with people like Ronnie Cuber, Mike Nock, Bob Mover (the first one to tell me about him and in whose band I first heard Harrell), Jill McManus, Sam Jones, etc., etc. Every band he was in he brought something wise, fresh, passionate, and lyrical to, like his talent was the ideal prism the for material.

That song Rapture and the album I first heard it on, Stories, has a real emotional resonance for me. I remember taking a long bus ride to Tuscon in '89 staving off boredom by listening to those tunes like Water's Edge and The Mountain. I hadn't heard Tom in a little bit when that album came out and I got into him again in a flash.

For the person that asked about the Horace stuff the Silver 'n' series all featured Tom---some with Berg, some with Larry Schneider. I really liked Silver 'n' Wood. Barbara from Silver 'n' Brass has a beautiful solo and is one of my favorite Silver pieces from that period. Silver 'n' voices also has burning Tom. That tune Out of the Night is a standout. Great tune, great solo by Tom. I think Silver 'n' Strings was the best, though. Great Tom (in a front line and very nice blend with Schneider), really strong writing and nice playing by Horace and it even offers the very worthwhile singing talents of the late Gregory Hines.

Edited June 24, 2006 by fasstrack

[David Ayers]

I have only heard Tom in concert once, with the Charlie Haden Liberation Orchestra donkey's years ago. I was struck by his performance manner. He suffers (I believe) from an illness that has to be controlled by heavy meds and the effect is that he is reclusive on stage and evidences tremors and spasms when he plays. Folks maybe already know all about this but I thought I'd mention it .

[Alon Marcus]

  fasstrack said:

For the person that asked about the Horace stuff the Silver 'n' series all featured Tom---some with Berg, some with Larry Schneider. I really liked Silver 'n' Wood. Barbara from Silver 'n' Brass has a beautiful solo and is one of my favorite Silver pieces from that period. Silver 'n' voices also has burning Tom. That tune Out of the Night is a standout. Great tune, great solo by Tom. I think Silver 'n' Strings was the best, though. Great Tom (in a front line and very nice blend with Schneider), really strong writing and nice playing by Horace and it even offers the very worthwhile singing talents of the late Gregory Hines.

Thanks for the info,

I wish Mosaic would get out all the Silver 'n' X series in one box.

[fasstrack]

  Alon Marcus said:

Thanks for the info,

I wish Mosaic would get out all the Silver 'n' X series in one box.

There's a DVD out of that band, with Horave, Tom, Berg, Eddie Gladden, Steve Besrkone. It's from '76. Called Horace silver Quintet Recorded Live at the Umbria jazz Festival. I have it. It's excellent. Tom and Horace both sound great.